Secret Giving Part 1

During the rain forest looking to Jesus, founder and perfecter with God, we can safely entrust any secret track forcing words. He wants us to share with him when we do will experience life-changing results to find out what those rights are. Stay with us from the movie church in Chicago.

This is going to win with Sir was clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line vasculature will begin teaching us about sharing secrets with God.

Tell us about the first of those forcing greens with David the first secret I'm going to talk about is giving this message grows directly out of the sermon on the Mount, Jesus hated high hypocrisy and so he was very critical with all those who stood to give publicly and made a display of the righteousness God loves it when we have secrets with him. God loves it when we are willing to do things that nobody else knows about but he does and that's okay with us so I want you to open your Bibles I want you to enjoy this series, let's just take a deep breath and ask ourselves how can we develop those special secrets with God and begin a series of messages on secrets with God secrets with God are going to be talking about the soul. The inner part about part that nobody see the most important part of us. When you speak of what the soul is, it's difficult to define something like trying to photograph the wind someone says all of us know that within us. There is that part that nobody can see that hidden part we think and feel and desire and sigh and all of the aspirations and the ongoing part of us really takes place. The conscious part of us.

That's the soul the way I'm defining it. If you're Christian, your soul is the Cathedral of God because God dwells. There, but also even though you are a believer it is possible for that soul to be the playground of the devil as well. It is there you see in the heart and the heart that we have that all of the battles and the decisions are taking place because the Scripture says as a man thinks in his heart so is he like the old line says you aren't what you think you are but what you think you are. That's who we really are. What a man is is a man or woman what they are is what they are before God, and nothing else. That's it. Well, normally when we think of the secrets of the soul. We think of the dark secrets.

Don't wait. We think of all of those things that are hidden within us. Those those aspirations that we deliberately and meticulously keep from other people because we do not want them to see what is going on in the dark part of us and within the soul. There may be deceit and alignment dishonesty. But wait, we don't want anybody to see that and we jealously guarded.

There is something about the soul that signifies powers not what I was thinking when I was about 10 years old. One of the responsibilities I had the phone on the farm was to feed the chickens about 5 o'clock every afternoon. I was supposed to take it pail of grain and poured out so that they could eat and one that was in the garage and I used to spend a lot of time fiddling around making little gadgets that never were that seem to be my vocation and father asked me whether or not I had fed the chickens and I hadn't met. It was so embarrassing, so I lied and said yes in a few moments later I left the garage and when to do what I had said I had already done. I remember that sense of power.

I thought, you know, lying is really is really good.

I mean as long as he doesn't find out what difference does it make in and there was that sense of control. I lied and he believed the main after coming back from feeding them.

My brother saw me, who had overheard the conversation and said you lied, didn't you sort of put an end to my feeling of power. That's a terrible way visit there. Then you begin to feel the shame and you begin to feel the sense of review cannot hypocrisy everything up until that time I didn't feel that because most of us really we we are much more concerned about what others feel about us than we are about what God feels about us at least at that point in our lives. That's what happens within the soul, and all those dark secrets are developed. But that's not what I'm going to talk about. I'm going to be speaking about a positive secrets going to secrets that we should have with God. The kinds of things that we should share with him because friends have secrets and if we know God and if he is our friend. Why, indeed, we should be able to enjoy those times of intimacy with him when you know something and he knows something, and only the two of you know about it. The kinds of secrets were going to speak about and for this series we're going to expound the sixth chapter of the book of Matthew Matthew chapter 6 where Jesus repeatedly talks about secrets and I shall be reading from the new international version of the Bible you talk to Darryl Worley afterwards. You guys over here it says be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men to be seen by them.

If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the needy.

Do not announce it with trumpets as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be honored by man I tell you the truth they have received their reward in full. But when you get to the needy. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you will reward you have a topic of course is giving and that's enough to send some jitters through a few people who may be here they end, especially if you're visiting your site is not amazing. This is the week we come to Moody Church in what is he talking about is talking about getting your feeling that way it could well be that you need the message that God has led me to preach today, so I joined the club and stay a while.

I have to say something as though to to cut out the underbrush and to get to the heart of a couple of matters we as human beings we forget that money has demonic power. It has demonic power Thomas Morton says it as a user role in modern society which the Holy Spirit is supposed to have in the church.

That's how that's how powerful money is Jesus. Remember said woe to those who are rich. He said you cannot serve God and Mammon. And when talking about money. Catch this.

He said that which is esteemed highly among men in the context there is money because it's as the Pharisees were lovers of money, and they were scoffing at what he was saying and he said that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable, detestable in the sight of God. And Paul says, of course, that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil great temptation as it's to quote those verses and then very quickly jump to others to somehow balance it because we do not want to be reminded of the fact that money has such a power to mesmerize to destroy and to be a God. We forget that it is predominantly evil. We want to hear that you see the thing is that money asks our allegiance just as much as any other God.

Let me ask you today. Do you recognize that we have to be converted to Islam. Money to God. And the reason that there are some people who are unconverted is because they are unwilling to make that conversion.

I think that Martin Luther was right when he said that everybody needs three conversions.

The conversion of the heart.

The conversion of the mind and the conversion of the pocketbook and it may well be that the last conversion is the most difficult. Let me ask you, why did Jesus say woe to those who are rich, for it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Why did Jesus say that it's because money has all the characteristics of deity. All the characteristics of God.

Richard Foster says it gives a security it can induce guilt that gives us freedom it gives us power and seems to be omnipresent, but most sinister of all is its bid for attendance. It wants to be all powerful and it can be all-consuming and the reason that when we talk about money. The reason it is so sensitive well you had a sore on your arm maybe you were lacerated, then the blood flowed and now that part of your arm is so tender and when somebody comes and begins to poke around it. It really hurts and you say no, no, I want you to know today that whenever we talk about money. We begin to touch our idolatrous heart. We begin to touch that heart and and we don't like it because it's painful and it reveals who we are and and we we come to a message like this filled with a whole set of rationales and and a whole little reasons and then these are deeply ingrained and not easily on subtle now for the text itself. What was happening in those days well. The Pharisees were misusing money they were misusing it and doing a good thing. With that they were giving it to charity. But in the process they were hypocrites and the Greek word hypocrite means they were play acting.

Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men to be seen by them. If you do, you have no reward of your father who is in heaven want you to know that in those days, giving to charity was a big thing was a quote from the rabbis which even says he who gives to the poor does better than he who offers a sacrifice and the Hebrew word righteousness, sciatic that Hebrew word is actually the word for the giving of alms.

So in ancient times, the mother may have said to her son, who came from the synagogue did you do your righteousness today and what you meant was, had you given your gift today. Very important thing Jesus commends the fact that people give because that's what we should be doing, but here you have people who are using a very legitimate and necessary good act. They are doing it for wrong reasons, and they're doing even that to serve themselves, he says when you give do not announce it with trumpets now.

You may visualize somebody standing on a street corner and blowing a trumpet and saying everybody watch I'm getting now and you know as soon as the trumpet blows that it's time for an offering, it could well be the Jesus is referring to a custom that the Jewish scholar at her shine refers to that in the temple area there was a a cylinder was like a pipe and people came in they put their money in and of the money would go around the cylinder and would eventually come into a pot into a pail that was there in the temple and and some of the people would stand there giving their coins like this one at a time, making sure that those who were behind them saw how much they gave and they were blowing the trumpet and Jesus said when you do that don't don't give that way, but given secret in the process. Christ gives three very important principles about giving three important principles about giving and what might they be number one you give with the right motive you give with the right now there are three possible motives that people can have in giving one is a sense of duty. I give because I have to do.

It is expected of me. People will not think well of me.

II giving because I'm kind of trapped I have to give ever been at a banquet where after the food is been eaten, then offering is taken and that they say now were going to take an offering in the offering basket is passed and that you want to make sure you want to be very sure that you give something you hadn't planned to give it but there's an elder who is sitting next to you and heaven help him if he doesn't give anything but but you're just a regular church member, but you need to give every you know you don't want.

I well you know that story of Asher, who went by a very, very well dressed woman that she didn't put anything into the offering plate and he held it right before her and she wouldn't put anything in and he said and she said I don't give any suitable then takes amount because it's for the heathen. Anyway and you want to be feeling like a heathen and and so you you reluctantly you give. Now that is giving out of a sense of duty. How do you know whether you're giving a sense out of out of a sense of duty.

How do you know whether this morning you gave out of a sense of duty all tell you when you get out of a sense of duty. You give the gift don't give your heart you don't give your heart you reserve your heart for yourself, but you say here is the gift that's a sense of duty. There's a second motivation and that can be prestige, which is exactly what the Pharisees were doing. You give in such a way, hoping that it will come back to you. You hope that there are other people who will see what you are giving and because you have given to them. You have certain expectations number one, your thought of as a generous person and that's worth something to you and number two you actually give it in a way that you hope you will receive back because you've given the matter fact did you know that there are certain religions and cultures and some of you are familiar with. Those are what those are a in which there are intricate social theories of obligation where you do something good for someone but it is completely understood, even though no words are said that the intention is that they in turn oh use something and you expect that in return and woe to them if they don't give that to you, whatever it may be, whether it's hospitality or gift or whatever that there's a very intricate network of obligation. Now the Pharisees, you see were not necessarily expecting that people would get back to them, but they were thinking that people would watch them. Given say I just can't believe leave house spiritual that person is look at how generous he might be. Even though he is a very very sour face. But look at how generous he is. That's what they were hoping people say there's 1/3 motivation and that's what Jesus is talking about here, where you were you were. You give because you love to give your wallet is been converted, you've given yourself to God and you've said.I've given you my heart, and therefore I can give not only my money when I give my money.

I'm also giving my heart. Samuel Johnson was a very generous person and he always had people living in his house who were poor and somebody said why do you put up with all of these poor people, and he simply answered.

If I didn't help them. No one else would. And they cannot. He says they cannot be rejected or lost simply because they are needy. In other words, you give because because you want to give in because there is the motivation to give it you don't care whether not anybody knows about it. You just give because giving becomes a part of your nature part of who you are like a mother she doesn't. My wife Rebecca didn't say, well, now you know I got up at night to take care of the children.

I want everybody to know that I got up and care of the babies now know that isn't the important thing. The need is there.

The love is there, the commitment is there, and so you do it because you love to do it. The Bible says that God loves a cheerful giver.

He loves those who give joyfully who maybe even give more than they should because it is not merely their mind and that is been converted, but their heart has been converted, and their pocketbook is been converted and all that they have is gods and so they enjoy giving you sable if you don't have the right motivation. What you do, how you get that that's not natural. That's not natural that doesn't come just because you go to a good church or because you read the Bible or because you listen to a wonderful choir that does not, no, no, no, no, this this monster called greed and selfishness is so much a part of who we are that being generous is not usually something that comes very very easily unless there's some return unless there's some some prestige that's going to be involved. If you're a billionaire and you want to give $1 billion.

You call a news conference and announce it to the world that's different, or talk about secret given how you do it. What would you do is you you deal with it as you deal with other sin and repentance thoroughly. As the Holy Spirit enables you to and you spend as much time in God's presence is you have to until that monster is subdued and you deal with the rationalizations people say will you know if I had more money, I give more nonsense. If you are a bad steward with a little money.

Jesus taught, you're going to be a bad steward with a lot of money does not have to do with the amount because were talking about proportionate giving and so what you need to do is to to deal with that rationalization over the ideas will begin to give.

When we get out of debt now. Now that's a real good one is that and that you know of course says Rebecca. And I've had to learn and that is young couples always learned that debt devil and dirt. They're all related role related. I'm not sure exactly the connection but I know that it's there. So there are people who are in debt and that would be a separate message, the, the absolute curse.

The, the terrible, terrible curse of debt and if you're in that situation, I suggest that you purchase some books if you can afford them. That will enable you to to learn how to get out of debt so that you can have some financial freedom.

But the problem is this that we use that as an excuse and by bad management were always in debt and therefore we excuse ourselves consistently and we never learn how to be generous to their oldies rationalizations.

Or here's another one. Listen up for this. I'm not going to give because I don't like what the church did with its money 10 years ago they did something that I don't like and then because I don't like it. My boat is going to be. I'm not going to give you notice how easily these rationalizations come, you know.

Jesus bless the woman who gave two mites. Even though the temple was not perfect, even though the running of the temple was not perfect. Jesus still bless the motivation of the woman because he saw in her a generous spirit, generous spirit, my friend, this is Pastor Luther and I certainly don't want to give the impression that it is not important to know where we are giving our money. I always believe that we should do as much investigation as we can as to where our gifts go whether not the ministry is run with integrity. Whether or not it shares the gospel. All of these things become important, but isn't it wonderful to know that as I've emphasized, it's not necessary for a church to be perfect in order for us to support it. While I wish that you had in your hands the book that I now have in my hands. It's entitled a closer look at the evidence. It's written by two scientists is a book that is published with full-color photos. It has 365 devotionals, one for every single day of the new year.

This book discusses issues regarding science, archaeology, biblical history, it's the kind of book that you want for yourself and for your children and your grandchildren.

Last year I gave it to all of my grandchildren because I want them to have the Christian perspective on science and what is happening in the world now for a gift of any amount. This book can be yours.

Here is what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for the book. A closer look at the evidence. I assure you, you will not be disappointed. You are going to be pleasantly surprised at the beautiful pictures at the issues that are being discussed in this book from a Christian viewpoint again for a gift of any amount to RTW offer.com or if you prefer, call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for the book. A closer look at the evidence. You can write to what is running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 can happen to any of us money can become our article God wants to bring the stranglehold money has on our hearts.

And the key is learning given secret. Next time I'm running to when finding the right motives and methods to do just that morning to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life. Thanks for listening today for Dr. Erwin lutes are this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody nature